3 Mistakes When Staging an Open House

You want to sell your home, so you plan on holding an open house. Some items and decor are innocuous to home sellers but will turn off almost all potential buyers. Besides not having Home Inspections in Venice FL for your property, here are just a few major mistakes when staging your home.

1. Extreme Themed Decor

Sara is a die-hard Alabama football fan, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the crimson-and-houndstooth palette of her guest bedroom. Ray loves Star Wars so much that he uses Death Star schematics as wallpaper in every bathroom and painted a lifesize mural of Captain Phasma in his foyer.There is nothing wrong with being a fan or with decorating your home to reflect your interests. However, potential buyers are looking for a home of their own: such specific decorating themes are just one more thing they will have to change if they purchase your house. According to the Wellington Home Team, a neutral home (in palette, furniture, and general decor) appeals to most buyers.

2. Dilapidated Furniture

Martin doesn’t consider his furniture to be old; that threadbare sofa in his study is just well-loved. Clarissa, Martin’s wife, put up with “that abominable couch” throughout their 40-year marriage, but she insisted that he finally get rid of it when they made plans to sell their home.Shabby-chic has limits, you know. Potential buyers don’t look at the armchair chair you’ve had since undergrad and remember happy times–they see an outdated, decrepit La-Z-Boy and might wonder about the rest of your home. Even if your house is state of the art, the ugly or worn-out furniture can be jarring enough to turn off a potential buyer. Potential buyers will judge your home by its contents. While we’re discussing bad decor: get rid of any fake plants. Fake plants gather dust, cobwebs, and grime. At best, they look old; at worst, they look tacky. Frankly, silk flowers and plastic plants have no redeemable qualities. Ditch the fakes, and replace them with some live houseplants or vases with fresh bouquets of seasonal flowers.

3. Clutter and Collections

Kendra inherited her grandmother’s huge collection of Madame Alexander dolls, which had been kept in floor-to-ceiling glass display cases lining the walls of Nana’s dining room. Kendra is helping her father sell Nana’s house, and decided to move the dolls into storage for the time being.Clutter is clutter, no matter the context. Whether you have an extensive collection of Hummel figurines or just a tendency to hoard throw pillows, any objects en masse can be intimidating to a potential buyer. There are a few exceptions to this rule: books on shelves, photographs in frames, and other items that are expected to appear in groups will probably be fine. Otherwise streamline, streamline, streamline!

We know that most of these revolve around personal and family quirks, but sellers must think like buyers. You made your house your own after you moved in; your home’s eventual buyer will want to do the same. Presenting buyers with a blank slate will encourage them to picture the home filled with their own collections! 

Do you have any home-staging tips? Share your thoughts below! or even better give us call for more information.

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Rick Blake

Hi, my name is Rick Blake, and I am a certified home inspector. I have been in the business for over 20 years and have helped thousands of families buy or sell their homes. I am passionate about my work and take pride in providing honest, unbiased opinions about a home’s condition. As a certified home inspector, I am trained to identify potential problems with a home’s structure, systems, and components.